Bud Light’s trans rights row has escalated yet again after several LGBT+ venues started ditching the beverage over claims influencer Dylan Mulvaney had been “abandoned”.
Five LGBT+ bars in Chicago dropped Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch CEO said he “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people”.
Sidetrack Bar, a gay bar which is known for its showtune nights, announced its boycott on social media.
In a post on Instagram, Sidetrack Bar said: “For 41 years Sidetrack has encouraged liquor and beer companies that have wished to garner the LGBTQ+ customer base to actively support our community.”
Dylan Mulvaney promoted Bud Light on her TikTokTikTokThe statement added: “Bud Light’s recent decision to drop the Dylan Mulvaney campaign, to put on ‘leave’ those who created it, as well as the statement by its CEO, wrongfully validates the position that it is acceptable to acquiesce to the demands of those who do not support the trans community and wish to erase LGBTQ+ visibility.”
Sidetrack Bar went even further by confirming it will no longer sell Anheuser-Busch products until the beer manufacturer can “clearly demonstrate they will not acquiesce to voices of hate that wish to erase LGBT+ existence”.
Chicago’s 2Bears Tavern Group, which has four bars in the Windy City, echoed Sidetrack’s sentiments.
The company said that Anheuser-Busch’s decision to “drop its support of Mulvaney … shows how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and in particular transgender people, who have been under unrelenting attack in this country”.
A drop in sales of Bud Light was reported in midwestern and southern America@dylanmulvaneyIt added: “We must also hold brands accountable if they take active steps against LGBTQ+ equality, visibility and safety.”
Mulvaney, 26, faced a ferocious conservative backlash after Bud Light’s parent company struck a sponsorship deal.
American singer Kid Rock, 52, even shot several cases of Bud Light with an assault rifle.
Republican 2024 hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy weighed in on the debate in an opinion piece for Fox News.
Dylvan Mulvaney wears Nike leggingsInstagram / Dylan MulvaneyThe anti-woke entrepreneur wrote: "Now the King of Beers is paying homage to the newest cultural zeitgeist by paying trans activist Dylan Mulvaney to prod grown men into dressing like Audrey Hepburn while drinking beer.
"For a drink that was once a blue-collar staple of middle America, this isn’t a winning sales strategy.
"It’s a way for the CEO to signal his virtue while alienating a customer base that is too afraid to say so out loud."
Anheuser-Busch was dealt a significant financial blow last month amid its trans row.
Dylan Mulvaney is a 26-year-old trans influencer
Reuters
The 171-year-old brewing company saw its value plummet by more than $4billion (£3billion) in April.
The Dow Jones Market Data Group revealed Bud Light’s parent company was down 4.7 per cent and had lost around $4.56billion (£3billion) in just a fortnight.
Analysts at HSBC downgraded Anheuser-Busch over the debacle just this week.
